Is chess a sport? It soon may be chasing the Olympic Holy Grail August 10, 2023 Columnist Ed Warner discusses chess, funding fringe sports and what makes a solid sporting body chief executive. Where do you draw the line between games and sports? Mine is at the door of the pub, so ruling dominos, bar billiards, space invaders and darts out of the sporting firmament. I realise of course that this [...]
Sky drops Oscars coverage after 20 years August 9, 2023 UK film enthusiasts will no longer be able to watch the Oscars coverage via Sky as the TV giant has reportedly relinquished its two-decade hold on broadcasting the prestigious LA awards ceremony. Sky is set to end its deal to show the Oscars and Disney, the rights holder, is reportedly in advanced talks with an [...]
Bellway ‘taking steps to reduce headcount’ as rate hikes continue mortgage slowdown August 9, 2023 British housebuilder Bellway’s underlying operating margin will contract from 18.5 per cent to 16 per cent as mortgage rates continue to slow down demand in the sector. The home construction company completed the build of 10,945 homes in the year ended 31 July falling from 11,198 in the same period last year. As the central [...]
The one winner from the UK’s miserable summer?… Wind turbines August 8, 2023 Brits have been disappointed by persistent gloomy weather this summer. But there has been one winner from the overcast skies – wind turbines.
Wilko: Gordon Brothers mull rescue deal for troubled retailer as 12,000 jobs on the line August 8, 2023 Troubled retailer Wilko could reportedly be rescued by global advisory and investment firm Gordon Brothers, which has a history of saving struggling brands. Last week the family owned business made notice of its intention to appoint administrators, after it spent the summer hunting for a rescue deal. Wilko, which has 400 sites across the UK, [...]
Energy system ‘broken’: Suppliers to rake in £1.7bn profits as millions of Brits grapple with sky-high bills August 8, 2023 Household energy suppliers are on course for profits bonanza over the next 12 months from customer bills, a new report suggests.
UK urged to abolish energy price cap in bid to boost competition and lower bills August 8, 2023 The energy price cap should be abolished, as it is raising bills for customers and stifling competition in the market.
The best party wines, from Ibiza to St Tropez and Santorini August 7, 2023 Each summer certain places draw epicureans and hedonists like a magnet. Crystalline waters, blue skies and beaming sunshine are all very well but as the beautiful people recline upon their beach beds, dance under the stars and dine under glorious sunsets, what I want to know is: what wine are they drinking? St Tropez held [...]
Commercial radio giant Global shuffles management playlist August 6, 2023 Global, the owner of LBC, Heart and a host of commercial radio stations, has reshuffled its management deck despite maintaining its spot as the number one commercial radio company Both the finance and marketing chiefs of the UK’s largest commercial radio group have bid farewell to the company in recent weeks, according to Companies House [...]
Bazball shows England’s Test problem is one of supply, not demand August 5, 2023 The Bazball-inspired Ashes summer ignited the country with cricket fever in a way the 2005 series did, but it will be followed by a damp squib that could lose momentum. I was just 12-years-old when the 2005 Ashes happened, and the first two things I did to pursue my newfound love was join a club, [...]